Lydia Johnson stared, completely dumbfounded.

How was that even possible? He had more of those fruits? Were Enlightenment Fruits so common they were practically worthless?

[Will Link: 1-Star]

Allows you to establish a will link with a creature within your line of sight, enabling mental communication within a range of 10 meters.Maximum simultaneous links: 1.Willpower: +1.

[Ding! Additional attributes unlocked. Status panel updated.]

James Lone's curiosity was piqued. What the hell? A personal, private mind-phone? Can I communicate with any living thing? Animals? Plants?

And what's this "Willpower" attribute for?

He opened his status panel, and sure enough, there was a new line.

[Host: James Lone]

Overall Physique: 90 (average adult: 10)Willpower: 11 (average adult: 10)

The fruit had only increased his Willpower by 1, and he couldn't sense any noticeable difference compared to before.

Meanwhile, Monroe Anne, who had just eaten the fruit, looked just as confused. "Master, what does this ability even do?"

"Ability?" James smirked. He activated Will Link to test it out.

In his perception, he suddenly saw translucent, multicolored bubbles surrounding the bodies of everyone in the room. Even the black cat, Cola, had one.

The bubbles shimmered like iridescent soap, wobbling faintly in irregular shapes. Most of the bubbles were about the same size, except his own, which seemed slightly thicker and more solid.

"Could these bubbles represent the will of living beings?" James wondered aloud.

Instinctively, he reached out to one of the bubbles with his mind. He chose Monroe Anne's.

The moment he made contact, Monroe Anne twitched slightly, glancing around as though she sensed something.

James didn't speak aloud. Instead, he communicated through his thoughts. "Can you hear me?"

Monroe Anne froze, then looked around, confused. "Master? Did you just call me?"

The other women in the room were puzzled. "What are you talking about? He didn't say anything," one muttered.

Through the link, James spoke again. "Don't say anything out loud. Try responding with your thoughts instead. Now, come over here and massage my shoulders."

It took her a moment, but Monroe Anne eventually responded in her mind, clumsily at first. "Yes, Master."

She obediently walked behind him and began massaging his shoulders.

James grinned. It worked. The link wasn't just one-way—the recipient could also use it for mental communication.

After a bit of practice under his guidance, Monroe Anne quickly learned how to initiate a will link herself. She tested it on Shirley Inr Won and Lydia Johnson, who both watched with envy.

Lydia, especially, couldn't hide her amazement. "So this is what abilities can do... it's incredible."

James conducted further experiments. He tested whether Perception could be used in combination with Will Link to communicate through walls. To his delight, it worked perfectly.

Perception might lack combat capabilities, but its utility was immense. Combined with abilities like Phase Shift and Will Link, it expanded his options exponentially. Of course, Enhanced Constitution played its part too, granting him the stamina to use these abilities for extended periods.

Unlike him, Monroe Anne's stamina was limited. Will Link consumed a significant amount of energy, and she could only maintain it for a few minutes at a time. If she activated both Perception and Will Link simultaneously, the energy drain wasn't linear—it doubled. Within 30 seconds, she would be completely exhausted.

James, with his superhuman physique, could sustain it much longer.

Curious, he turned his attention to the black cat, Cola, who was lying lazily on the ground. The bubble around Cola was smaller and thinner than those of the humans.

James reached out with his mind, tapping the cat's bubble.

Cola lifted its head, eyes narrowing at James. "Meow? (What do you want?)"

James froze. Did I just... understand cat language?

No, that wasn't it. He wasn't understanding cat language; they were communicating directly through their consciousnesses.

Excited, James tried asking a question through the link. "Are you hungry?"

The cat tilted its head, staring at him with an almost condescending expression. "Meow meow meow~ (Well, well, look at you, little human. You can talk now. Impressive.)"

James's eye twitched. What the hell is this smug attitude?

Cola strutted over and licked his pant leg as though rewarding him for his efforts.

Annoyed but intrigued, James decided to test the ability further. He turned his attention to a few plants in the room, establishing links with their faint, nearly invisible bubbles.

The results were fascinating:

Succulent Plant: "Water! Water! Water!"Ivy Vine: "Sunlight! Growth! Climb! Climb!"Pine Tree: "Bugs! Bugs! It hurts!"

Plants, as it turned out, were incredibly simple-minded. They couldn't respond to questions or form coherent sentences. They could only repeat basic instincts or needs.

James ended the experiment and turned his attention back to the fruit. Pulling out a handful of Will Link fruits, he began eating them one by one, pondering how this ability could be applied practically.

Then, something unexpected happened. After just the third fruit, a notification chimed in his mind:

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 2 stars! Range increased to 20 meters. Willpower: +2.]

James glanced at the notification but didn't think much of it. The upgrade was likely just a stroke of luck.

He kept eating, finishing off the first handful and moving on to a second. Before he was done with the second handful, another notification popped up:

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 3 stars! Range increased to 50 meters. Willpower: +4.]

"Hmm?" James finally started paying attention.

Why was this ability leveling up so quickly? It had only taken him ten or so fruits to reach 3 stars. By comparison, when he first upgraded Perception, it had taken over a hundred fruits just to hit 3 stars.

Could it be that my body is particularly suited for Will Link?

Without hesitation, James grabbed another handful of fruits and began eating.

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 4 stars...] [Ding! Will Link upgraded to 5 stars...] [Ding! Will Link upgraded to 6 stars...]

Lydia Johnson watched in stunned silence. How does he have so many Enlightenment Fruits?!

If he had this many, why had he even asked her to help locate that first fruit? Did he really need her help, or was that just an excuse to make her feel more useful?

Her lips trembled slightly as she bit them, gazing at James with newfound warmth.

James didn't notice the change in her demeanor. He was too busy marveling at his updated ability:

[Will Link: 6 stars]

Range: 50 kilometers.Maximum simultaneous links: 10.Willpower: +15.

Fifty kilometers!

James's eyes gleamed with excitement. I might just have my second 9-star ability soon!

Unfortunately, his excitement was tempered by the fact that he'd overindulged. His stomach was uncomfortably full, and even the sight of another fruit made him feel queasy. For now, he had to stop.

Still, he couldn't help but grin as he reviewed his status panel. His Willpower had already climbed to 25, but its effects remained a mystery. What exactly does Willpower even do?

Meanwhile, Teresa Taylor was drenched in sweat, her breaths uneven as exhaustion overtook her.

The survivors had all fled, leaving her alone to face the mutant frog. She clenched her fists, delivering one final punch to its tongue before turning and sprinting toward the safety of the complex.### Chapter 57: 6-Star Will Link!

Lydia Johnson stood there, wide-eyed and utterly baffled.

How could he possibly have more of those fruits? Were Enlightenment Fruits so commonplace to him that they were practically disposable?

[Will Link: 1-Star]

Effect: Establish a mental connection with a creature within your line of sight. Communicate telepathically within a range of 10 meters.Maximum Links: 1 active link.Attribute Bonus: Willpower +1.

[Ding! Additional attributes unlocked. Status panel updated.]

James Lone's curiosity flared. So, it's like a private telepathic line? And I can connect to any living being? Animals, maybe even plants?

But what's this "Willpower" attribute? What does it actually do?

He opened his status panel and scanned the newly updated information.

[Host: James Lone]

Overall Physique: 90 (Average adult: 10)Willpower: 11 (Average adult: 10)

The fruit had only increased his Willpower by one point, and yet, he couldn't detect any noticeable difference from before. It felt... unremarkable.

Meanwhile, Monroe Anne, who had just eaten the fruit, was equally puzzled. "Master, what does this ability even do?"

"Ability?" James smirked, deciding to test it out. He activated Will Link.

Through his enhanced perception, a new layer of visualization emerged around the people and creatures in the room. Surrounding every body was a translucent, multicolored bubble. Even the black cat, Cola, had one.

The bubbles shimmered like iridescent soap, wobbling gently. Most of them were roughly the same size, but his own bubble seemed noticeably thicker and more substantial.

"Could these bubbles represent the will or consciousness of living beings?" James wondered aloud.

Instinctively, he extended his mind toward Monroe Anne's bubble, tapping it gently.

She flinched slightly, her gaze darting around as if sensing something.

James didn't speak aloud. Instead, he sent his voice through the mental link: "Can you hear me?"

Monroe Anne froze in confusion, then looked around. "Master? Did you just call me?"

The other women exchanged confused glances.

"Call you? He didn't say anything," one of them muttered.

Through the link, James continued, "Don't respond out loud. Try talking to me with your thoughts. Now, come over here and give me a shoulder massage."

It took Monroe Anne a moment to adjust, but she eventually responded, albeit hesitantly, through the link: "Yes, Master."

She stood up, walked behind James, and began massaging his shoulders as instructed.

James grinned. It works! Not only can I communicate with them mentally, but they can respond in kind through the link.

Under James's guidance, Monroe Anne quickly learned how to initiate her own links. She tested it on Shirley Inr Won and Lydia Johnson, both of whom watched with envy as Monroe Anne demonstrated her newfound ability.

Lydia, in particular, was awestruck. "So this is what abilities can do..." she murmured. "It's incredible."

Eager to experiment further, James tested whether he could combine Perception and Will Link to communicate through walls. The result? A resounding success.

His grin widened. Perception may not have direct combat applications, but its utility was unparalleled. It worked seamlessly with other abilities like Phase Shift and Will Link, greatly amplifying their versatility. And thanks to Enhanced Constitution, he could sustain these powers far longer than the others.

Unlike James, Monroe Anne quickly hit her limit. Using Will Link drained stamina at an alarming rate. She could barely maintain the ability for a few minutes. If she activated Perception alongside it, the energy drain wasn't additive—it multiplied. Within 30 seconds, she would collapse from exhaustion.

James, however, could sustain both abilities for far longer, thanks to his enhanced physique.

Turning his attention to the black cat, Cola, James reached out to its bubble. The cat's bubble was smaller and thinner than those of the humans.

Tapping it gently, James connected to Cola's consciousness.

The cat lifted its head, staring at James with a sharp, inquisitive look. "Meow? (What are you doing?)"

James blinked in surprise. Am I... understanding cat language now?

No, that wasn't quite right. He wasn't understanding "cat language"; they were communicating directly, bypassing words altogether.

Excited, James decided to push further. He mentally asked, "Are you hungry?"

The cat tilted its head and fixed him with a smug expression. "Meow meow meow~ (Oh? Impressive, human. You've learned to speak? Bravo.)"

James's eyebrow twitched. What's with this attitude?

Cola sauntered over and licked James's pant leg, as if to reward him for his efforts.

Satisfied with his tests on animals, James moved on to plants. Connecting to their faint, nearly invisible bubbles, he discovered their responses were much simpler:

Succulent Plant: "Water! Water! Water!"Ivy Vine: "Sunlight! Growth! Climb! Climb!"Pine Tree: "Bugs! Bugs! It hurts!"

Plants, it seemed, weren't capable of intelligent thought. They could only express basic instincts, repeating single words or fragmented ideas.

Ending his experiments, James turned his attention back to the fruits. He grabbed a handful of Will Link fruits and began eating them one by one.

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 2 stars! Range increased to 20 meters. Willpower +2.]

James raised an eyebrow at the notification but didn't dwell on it.

He kept eating, finishing the first handful and starting on a second. Halfway through the second batch, another notification sounded:

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 3 stars! Range increased to 50 meters. Willpower +4.]

"Huh?" James frowned, intrigued now.

Why was this ability leveling up so quickly? It had taken only ten or so fruits to reach 3 stars. By comparison, Perception had required more than a hundred fruits to hit the same level.

Could it be that my body is particularly suited for Will Link?

Eager to test the theory, James grabbed another handful of fruits and devoured them.

[Ding! Will Link upgraded to 4 stars...] [Ding! Will Link upgraded to 5 stars...] [Ding! Will Link upgraded to 6 stars...]

Lydia Johnson watched him in stunned silence. Where does he get so many fruits?

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. He didn't need my help to find that first fruit at all. He probably just made up that excuse to give me a sense of purpose. He was helping me all along...

Her lips trembled as she bit them softly. Looking at James, her gaze softened with gratitude and warmth.

James, oblivious to her growing admiration, was staring at his updated ability with gleaming eyes:

[Will Link: 6 stars]

Range: 50 kilometers.Maximum Simultaneous Links: 10 active links.Attribute Bonus: Willpower +15.

Fifty kilometers!

James's grin widened. At this rate, I'll have my second 9-star ability in no time!

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that he'd overeaten. His stomach churned uncomfortably, and even the sight of another fruit made him queasy. For now, he had to stop.

Still, he couldn't help but feel satisfied as he reviewed his updated status panel. His Willpower had climbed to 25, though its effects remained unclear.

What does Willpower even do?

Meanwhile, Teresa Taylor was nearing her limit. Her body was drenched in sweat, her breathing ragged. Seeing that the survivors had all made it to safety, she didn't hesitate. With one final punch to the mutant frog's tongue, she turned and sprinted toward the safety of the Sunshine Garden Complex.